A Home
by strawberryhill
Summary: PQ one-shot, shows what could have happened off-screen when Puck offered Quinn the idea of living with him. Takes place between Sectionals and Hell-O with a little bit of Fuinn closure, and some fluff. Enjoy.


**Disclaimer - I don't own Glee! I'm just a huge fan of it. :)**

**PS - This takes place after Sectionals, but just forget some of the events that happened - Quinn saying "I'm doing this alone," Rachel apologizing for telling Finn, and the My Life Would Suck Without You scene - and assume**_**this**_**happened. :P So yeah, you could say it's a little AU. But not really.**

For the first time in her life, Quinn Fabray did not know what to do.

They won, of course. All that time spent practicing and it paid off. She wasn't surprised - even though they stole their setlist, the other teams couldn't compare; there was no doubt about it. Besides, she was used to winning just about everything she set her sights on.

Now back at the school, where everyone was waiting for their parents to pick them up, flushed and pink from the cold, clutching their small trophies, Quinn was alone.

She had no home to go to, no parent to pick her up. Finn? Forget it. Sure, her stuff was still at his house, but was she really going to live with him for the rest of her pregnancy? The past two days alone had been silent hell.

She sat on one of the chairs in the choir room, watching everyone laugh, talk, and congratulate each other. She wasn't lonely. She didn't have anything to say to anyone.

Finally, she got up from the chair, still wearing her black and red dress, and walked towards the exit. No one looked at her except for Mr. Schuester, who confronted her just as she was about to walk out of that door, from everyone.

"Hey, Quinn," he said, a bright beaming smile still apparent on his face. "You leaving us already?"

She looked down at her feet, a sigh escaping her. "Uh, yeah. I just - I gotta get home, and all. You know." She trusted that he would buy her excuse, even though anyone who looked into her eyes knew that she didn't have a home.

Schue nodded. "I get it. Okay, well - I'll see you in a couple weeks, Quinn. Have a good winter break." He patted her on the back and she left with a sigh of relief.

Quinn walked down the hallway carefully and quietly, listening to every step she took. She was well aware of her solitude; all she could hear was the quiet humming of the heater above her. The exit door out of the school was clearly in her sight, and although all she wanted was to get away from everyone and cry, she had no idea where she could possibly do that, since she had no car or house.

She took her time walking down the hallway, looking at all the trophies, plaques, and paintings strewn upon the walls. She wished she didn't have to come back; she wished she could find someplace safe to live forever in peace. But life often didn't work the way you wanted it to, as she had learned over the past few months.

Reaching the threshold between the door and the warm inside of the school, Quinn leaned back on the wall, closing her eyes momentarily. She was startled when she heard the sounds of laughter and life coming down the hall, and she realized that the congregating was over, and everyone was now leaving.

Great.

She turned her head away from everyone approaching her, their conversations halting like cars at a stoplight when they saw her. She didn't know what they thought, and she really just didn't care. Yet she turned her head, and found herself looking at the sympathetic faces of Mercedes, Tina, Artie, and Kurt.

"Hang in there, girl," Mercedes told her with a disappointed disposition.

Quinn nodded, and watched them go, Kurt throwing her an air kiss from behind. She sighed, appreciating their empathy, but wondering if they really knew how deep in she was.

A lock of her honey-blonde hair fell in front of her eyes, distracting her from the oncoming figures of Mike and Matt. Once they saw her, they stopped walking, threw her saddened looks, and patted her on her shoulder.

"Don't give up, Quinn," said Matt, his chocolate-brown eyes showing compassion. Mike nodded in agreement.

She didn't react as she saw them leave. She was tired, and all she wanted to do was climb into a comfortable bed and sleep. She didn't want to have to worry about money and guardians and the Cheerios and school and _him_ but she did, she _always_ did, even when she tried her hardest not to.

She didn't realize this, but when she performed with everyone else at sectionals - she felt happy. She felt complete and joyful. She even forgot, for a short amount of time, that she was pregnant. As much as she tried to deny it, Quinn _liked_ being in glee club, because although it dragged her social status down even more each day, she was able to forget about what a tragedy her life was when she sang, and it felt good.

As soon as she heard the loud, feminine giggling wafting down from the hallway up north, Quinn knew it was Brittany and Santana, she just knew it. In a way, she wanted to avoid them. They didn't care about her – they were just her little sidekicks. Now that Quinn wasn't the head cheerleader anymore and all they had was each other, they were free and didn't have to answer to her anymore - they stole her status. It sickened her how much things could change in so little time.

The two cheerleaders slinked closer to her, a different kind of sadness forming on each of their faces.

"Hey, Quinn," Santana said, a bored frown plastered onto her face.

"I hope you have a good break," Brittany smiled sweetly at her. Quinn knew Brittany was good, deep down inside - it was comforting.

With that, they left, their pinkies intertwined as they sauntered away from her. Goosebumps began forming on every inch of her skin, the cold air whistling in from outside.

Quinn yawned and tried to remember all who was left over. There were only three other names, all of which made her cringe. She remembered, of course, Mr. Schuester was still there - but judging from his face-sucking session with Miss Pillsbury that was occurring down the hall...he obviously had more important plans.

She turned her head towards the door, where outside, snow was lightly drifting downwards towards the black pavement. _Which was just perfect_.

Speaking of perfect...

The clacking of very distinct Mary Janes got louder and louder as the grinning face of Rachel Berry on the arm of Finn Hudson – _oh God, Finn_ - approached the doorway, and therefore, Quinn.

Quinn shut her eyes tight and clenched her fists even tighter, hoping and praying and pleading that perky-ass Berry wouldn't stop and say anything, and Finn wouldn't downright slap her right then and there.

She decided to simply face the music, and pivoted her eyes over to the assumingly happy couple - were they even going out? Quinn didn't know - both of whom were staring her down.

Swallowing audibly, Rachel unhooked her arm from Finn's, stepping forward, and like clockwork, he stepped backward. It was the exact opposite of everything she wanted to happen.

"Quinn, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have told Finn about your false paternity. It's all my fault that your life totally blows right now."

Quinn rolled her eyes and cast a glare towards the brunette's face. "Thanks, man hands."

Rachel ignored her comment and leaned closer to Quinn's face, whispering, "He really doesn't want to talk to you right now. I think you should keep a safe distance."

The blonde resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. _Believe me, I will._

Rachel smiled again, her perfect white teeth audibly clicking together. _God, pregnancy amplifies everything_, Quinn thought, wincing.

"Well, have a good holiday, Quinn. Don't freeze out there." And with that, Rachel Berry was out the door, gone - but of course, like all seemingly happy endings, this one was nonexistent, because she was waiting, and the person she was waiting for was standing right in front of Quinn's face, looking particularly angry.

Instead of slapping her, lashing out at her, or even saying anything to her, Finn just stared at her, his gaze boring into her hazel eyes. He shook his head slowly, as if to say, _You weren't even worth it_. And in her heart, Quinn knew he was right, he was so right.

Finn turned on his heel away from the blonde, and once he was gone, Quinn was suddenly extremely aware of the lack of his presence. She hated herself for doing what she did to him, but at the same time, she didn't miss him. After all the months of careful planning, hushed whispers, and secretive meetings, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and now, she was free.

So why didn't it feel that way?

She got herself up from her leaning position against the wall and looked behind her, down the vast hallway. No one was coming down her way, so she decided to step outside into the snowy cold. She didn't have a jacket, but did it matter? What was she supposed to do, ask Mr. Schuester for one? Better yet, someone she was more comfortable with, like…Puck?

"Quinn!" She jumped, hearing her voice being called. _Speak of the fucking devil_.

With a sigh, she turned around slowly. Puck was getting closer, almost out of the front door of the school now. She didn't want to see him; seeing him would mess everything up.

"Quinn," he called again, his voice closer and more breathless now. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and prayed he'd get the hint and go away.

He didn't.

She jumped at the touch of a big, warm hand on her shoulder, replacing the cold feeling of the snow that continued to fall. "Puck," she whispered, the first thing she had said in what felt like ages, "Don't do this."

"Why?" He asked, trying to get her to look at him. "Because we'll get caught?" He suddenly grabbed hold of her shoulders and she tensed. "News flash, Quinn. Secret's out. We're in the clear."

"Did I ever say I wanted you?" She hissed, squinting, staring into his eyes.

He loosened his grip and backed away, and for a second Quinn could see the harm in his eyes, making her feel terrible. Somehow, hurting him felt the worst. "No," he answered, looking down at his feet, "You didn't."

They stood there for a few minutes in silence watching the snow drift down in small flakes. There didn't seem to be anything to talk about, so she didn't open her mouth. It was nice, the stillness of winter.

"So...things with Finn," Puck started. "You...still livin' with him?"

Quinn sighed. "No...I'm not. I don't know..." She swallowed. "I don't know what to do now." _There_, she thought, _I said it out loud. What prize do I get now?_

He exhaled audibly and said, "Well...Quinn, I...I was just thinking..." She waited for him to go on. "I was just thinking...where...where do you plan to stay? Now, since..." He trailed off, and she was grateful.

She shrugged hopelessly. "I have no idea. My parents hate me, my sister lives in Florida, and Finn...I'm not even going to think about him right now."

Puck nodded, understanding what she meant. "Well, um...you know...I was, uh, thinking...maybe you," he laughed, and tried to gather his thoughts, "...I'm the father of your baby, and—"

Quinn's eyes suddenly welled up with tears - _goddamn hormones_ - and she shook her head quickly, back and forth. "No, Puck, stop, don't do this, you're—"

He cut her off and jumped in front of her, staring into her eyes, forcing her to stare back. "Quinn, just listen to me. _Listen_ to me," he repeated when she strayed her eyes. "You don't have anywhere to stay. I'm the father of your baby, Quinn, I can _help_ you. We can do this together, we can be a _family_."

With that, the tears spilled out of Quinn's eyes. She couldn't hear that word anymore without thinking of the one that had loved her for so long and then kicked her out, or the one that had taken her in whose trust she had betrayed. Everything she touched turned to ash; she was a walking disaster. "Family" meant nothing now, no matter how much Puck thought he could convince her. The tears fell faster now.

"Quinn," he said, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug, "Shh, you're okay. Come on, let's go," he said, letting go of her and leveling his eyes down to hers.

"No," she admonished, wiping her tear-stained face with the back of her hand. "You can't - you don't want to take care of me. I'm such a basket case, Puck, you're much more comfortable finding random girls to f—"

He took hold of her shoulders and gripped them just hard enough to stop her rambling. "Listen, I know I'm not necessarily the most reliable guy on the planet. But I swear to you, mark my words, I will take care of you and that baby until the day I die. You deserve to have someone to protect you always, and that someone might as well be me. I know you may not...have feelings, or whatever, for me, but I'm always going to make sure you and that baby are healthy and happy." He sighed; obviously, that was a lot of words for him to say. Quinn had to admit, she didn't expect that from him.

She swallowed hard and thought for a moment. Of course, she'd have to get her things from Finn's house sometime...she'd have to get accustomed to Puck's erratic mother's ways, and learn how to live with his little sister. She'd have to take a new route to school, live in a different environment, eat their kosher meat (_oh my God, no bacon_)...but somehow, all of that just seemed worth it. Puck could change - she had seen it in him over the past few months. It was a great feat.

"Okay," she sighed, finally, leaning her head against his chest. He radiated body heat; she was grateful for his natural space heater qualities out here in the bitter cold.

"Thank you," she murmured as he wrapped his letterman jacket around her, her tears still incessantly falling. She realized how comfortable his jacket felt, as compared to how Finn's used to always feel distant and foreign.

She sniffled up all of her tears and gathered herself together. She didn't feel pretty when she cried. She hadn't felt pretty for a few months now. It wasn't comforting.

"Do you want to go now, or do you just want to stand here and cry a little more?" Puck asked in a level voice. She didn't understand how calm he could be in the bare cold.

She drew in a breath, and let it out with, "We can go now." He nodded and brought a hand to her face, brushing a lock of her sallow hair out of her fair face. She was grateful for those little gestures; it was one of the few that he had done when they conversed in secret. It seemed easier now that there were no secrets to even keep, but in a way she loved the rule that had restricted their sole interactions.

He locked his hand with hers, leading her to his car out in the middle of the parking lot. Chilly winds blew all around the area, raising goose bumps on Quinn's skin. All she wanted to do was go back home, crawl into bed under her fuzzy covers, and fall asleep. But she couldn't do that...she didn't have a definite home.

At least, not yet.

**X**

"Are you ready?" He asked, looking over at her, his eyebrows raised. The car was still running, so it was warm and she did not want to get out.

Even so, Quinn nodded, regretting it immediately. She ignored Puck asking if she wanted him to come in with her, getting out of the car as fast as she could to race to the door of a certain Finn Hudson.

Taking methodic breathing exercises she did just like the ones before every cheer she did (and a short prayer, too), she rang the doorbell and waited.

And waited...and waited some more, until Carole Hudson showed up at the door. Her bright grin disappeared into a crestfallen expression. She still kept her ground though, uttering, "Quinn...dear. You want to see Finn." It wasn't a question.

_No_, she thought. But she nodded.

Carole turned around just as Finn passed the entrance, saying, "Oh! Finn, Quinn's…here to see you."

"I'm not here," he grunted, glaring at his ex-girlfriend as he passed.

"Ah-ah," Carole clucked, grabbing his arm before he could walk away. "Talk to her," Quinn could hear the other woman whisper to him. "It'd do her some good...Finn, I raised you better than that." The blonde kept her eyes focused on the snow-covered doormat, feeling the vacant stares from Finn directed at her like rays of heat.

After a few minutes of hushed feuding, Quinn got tired of getting snowed on and ignored, so she raised her voice, saying, "Excuse me. I just came by to get my things."

Carole's head whipped around and suddenly a warm smile was plastered on her face. "Of course, dear. Finn, help her, please." She dashed away back into the kitchen, back to her dish-washing, leaving her son and his ex-girlfriend to awkwardly exist together.

Finn turned his head away from Quinn and began to walk in the general direction of the guest bedroom. She assumed this meant she should follow him, and cautiously, she did. She automatically looked at the walls and the pictures on them as she passed them, and felt bad that she had ruined what could have been such a good family.

"Here's your stuff," he mumbled when they reached the bedroom she had been living in for the previous month. She stared at the mess of clothes that she had made, the line of condensation half-full glasses of water had made set upon the dresser, and all of the empty cheeseburger wrappers leftover from her late-night cravings. Seeing this history end right before her eyes broke her heart, and she wished there was just one magic word she could say to everyone she had damaged and then everything would be perfect again.

As she gathered all of her things up into her red and white WMHS cheerleading duffel she had brought them in, Quinn avoided Finn's blazing glare, his eyes fixated on her every move. He didn't follow her into the small bathroom they had once happily shared to get her toiletries, but he was waiting, as if he cared, when she got back.

"That's all," she sighed, grabbing her pillow along with everything else. His empty expression didn't change as he led her out of the room to the front door. She noticed he didn't even offer to help her with her stuff as she struggled to hold onto it all. _It's not like I'm pregnant or anything_, she thought bitterly.

He opened the door before her, blowing in the cold winter air. She caught site of the mohawked boy who was patiently waiting in the car, but watching the two of them attentively. Quinn's breath caught in her throat as she began to step across the threshold, carrying all she had.

"Puckerman, huh?" Finn's voice startled her and she stepped back inside for a moment to look at him.

She cleared her throat. "Well, he is the father of my baby, and I don't have anywhere to go." Quickly she countered with, "Besides...you and Berry?"

He rolled his eyes at her smug disposition and answered, "I'm not sure, really...wherever time takes us, I guess."

"Well...thank you, Finn." He furrowed his eyebrows together and she said, "For...letting me stay here. It was really generous of you and I didn't deserve it."

Finn started to reply, "Yeah, you're right about—" until Carole suddenly approached behind him and glared at him, causing him to mumble, "You're welcome, Quinn."

She swallowed and looked down at her feet. "See you at school, Finn. Thank you, too, Mrs. Hudson." Finn opened the door for her (_he was always so chivalrous_) and she stepped out. With one last look back, she realized that this was the end. Not only of her fizzled-out relationship with Finn, and not only of the Hudsons' warm hospitality. With her departure from this house also reminded her that when she would return to school again, she wouldn't be the head cheerleader anymore. She would not turn heads because of her beauty; but rather her growing stomach. She wouldn't rule the school with intimidation anymore - that job would be taken over by Santana. She didn't want to be the girl that answered, "I'm fine, just fine" to "Quinn, how are you doing?" anymore; she wanted to be the girl that replied with, "Great! And you?" again. But she couldn't, not for a long time. This was just the beginning of the end.

"Bye," she waved to the two, and stepped off the doorstep, walking as calmly as she could to the curb where Puck's car was parked. Opening the back door, she tossed her things in on the seat and then got herself into the passengers' seat in front.

She looked down to her hands, which were currently folded and resting in what was left of her lap. She felt like she was going to cry; she _knew_ she would, if she looked up. Her lip quivered and her sight was already blurred by tears. "Can we go now?" She asked Puck in a small voice.

He sensed her emotions and gently grabbed one of her hands and held onto it. "Are you sure you're ready to go? Because if you're not—" He was interrupted by the loud sobbing of the blonde girl, the tears shamelessly running down her face now. "It's okay," he whispered, undoing his seatbelt so he could reach over to her and rub her back. Her cries grew louder and he embraced her tighter, not because he wanted her to stop, but so he could let her know she would be fine.

"You're okay, Quinn. It's going to be alright," Puck repeated. "It's going to be just fine."

She wanted to believe him so badly.

**x**

"So, uh, this is where you'll be staying," Puck finished awkwardly, flipping on the light switch. The two entered the room, and Quinn looked around curiously.

"...Puck?"

"Yeah?"

She cast a sideways glance at him. "Isn't this your room?" Her insides churned and she shut her eyes, hard, before opening them again, realizing that, no, this wasn't a sick dream.

Puck coughed. "You see...that's the...that's the thing. I understand why you wouldn't feel...uh, _comfortable_ sleeping in the same bed with me. But I promise I won't do anything. I don't think pregnant sex is exactly safe, or whatever. But, um, again, if you're _really_ uncomfortable, I can sleep on the couch, you know. I'm totally cool with that." He scratched the back of his neck and looked down at her, anxiously awaiting her reply.

She tried not to smile at his naïve speech, but she couldn't help herself. "Puck, it's fine. It would...it'd actually be comforting. But," she wagged her finger, "don't try anything, or that couch is yours for the rest of my pregnancy."

He chuckled - God, how she loved that laugh - and winked at her. "I'll behave, I promise." Glancing at the clock, he realized it was past ten o'clock already. "Why don't you go get ready for bed and all in the bathroom?" He suggested. "It's right around the corner."

"Okay," Quinn agreed, and rounded the corner with her toiletries in tow. On the way, she passed his younger sister Sarah's bedroom. She giggled at how most eight-year olds would be sleeping at this hour, and the little girl was playing with her Barbie dolls. She admired Sarah's innocence, and cursed herself when she hoped, for a moment, that her child would turn out like that. _Don't be silly, Quinn, you're not even going to_raise_your own kid._

Sighing, she entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. After setting all her soaps and showering things in the bathtub, she brushed her teeth, combed her hair, washed her face, and changed into the pair of pajamas she had brought in with her, the shirt barely fitting over her budding baby bump.

When she was done with her nightly routine, Quinn stared at herself in the mirror, inspecting her every flaw. It was strange how, just several months ago, she'd look at herself and find another pimple, wake up and sigh at her frizzy hair, or complain about her dry skin. Now, the only defect she found with herself was the baby growing inside of her. Of course, she regretted this: whining about another human being, especially one that was half hers, was cruel, but her future daughter was slowly destroying her reputation.

She exited the bathroom quietly, tiptoeing back to Puck's room. She hoped (she _prayed_) he wasn't in the middle of changing in there (_naked_), so she lightly knocked on the door, just to make sure.

"Come in," he replied, and she breathed a sigh of relief, entering. (She breathed an extra sigh of relief when she noted that his shirt was indeed on.)

"You tired?" Puck asked when he realized she had come back.

She yawned, ironically coinciding with his question. "Yeah," she responded, and then made a face. Her pajama top was still sort of bothering her; it was tight, and it showed the bottom of her pregnant stomach. She felt the tiniest bit self-conscious of her body. "Um, Puck?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you have a shirt I could borrow?" Quinn bit her lip. "I mean, I know it's probably terribly inconvenient, but this pajama top," she fingered the hemline of her shirt, "doesn't really fit me, as you can see. I can get new pajamas tomorrow, but tonight, I, uh, I just—"

He cut her off. "Of course." Turning his back on her, he reached inside his drawers and pulled out a big, faded Rolling Stones concert t-shirt. He tossed it to her, and she caught it, uncoordinatedly.

"Don't look at me," she teased him, as if she was about to show anything he hadn't seen. He dutifully covered her eyes as she changed shirts, fitting into the comfy larger top.

"Are you fully clothed now?" Puck joked, his hands still covering his eyes. "It's dark in here."

Quinn laughed and crossed the room over to him. She grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands down from his face. They instinctively went down to her baby bump, the tips of his fingers touching her stomach. Her hazel eyes met with his brown ones, and they shared a small smile. She felt herself getting closer and closer to him, and before she knew it, his face was inching towards hers, his lips pursed, and they were just about to join together before –

"Uh, sorry, I, um, just—" Quinn fumbled, her hands disconnecting from his. She slapped her palm to her cheek, suddenly flustered, shaking her head back and forth rapidly. "I can't, um - I'm so tired right now, Puck, um..."

"Oh - uh, okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," she interrupted him quickly. "It's fine, Puck." She ran a hand through her golden hair and tensed up, walking aimlessly about the room. Without looking at him, she laid down on her side on the bed, covering herself up with covers. She shut her eyes, hoping he would turn off the light already.

"Goodnight, Quinn," Puck sighed. He laid down next to her, but kept his distance; at least he knew where to draw the line.

She sighed. "Night, Puck."

It was one in the morning when it happened.

Quinn awoke with a strange feeling in her stomach. She wasn't exactly sure of what it was - she hadn't been pregnant for long enough to know if it was morning sickness or not.

She sat up, confused. It couldn't be hunger, it definitely wasn't: this she just knew. She tried to remember all of the symptoms her doctor had told her about, but none of them really fit.

She suddenly knew what it was and snapped her fingers, nodding. "That's it," she whispered to herself, and cautiously looked over to make sure she didn't wake Puck up. Nope: he was still snoring peacefully.

Quinn snuck one leg out of bed after the other, cursing the squeaky bedsprings that creaked pitifully as she did this. She decided to wing it, swiftly tiptoeing out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

The Puckerman kitchen was vast, and not just in size. It was a foodie's dream here: they hosted just about anything edible you could think of - that is, if it was kosher. Quinn knew she was going to drive herself crazy over the next several months if she couldn't get meat - she figured if she really needed him to, she'd have Puck take her through a drive-thru. He owed her, after all.

As she raided their cupboards with a sense of wonder - _oh_ please _tell me they have it_ - Quinn heard a sound from upstairs that probably should have made her jump, but she shrugged it off; after all, she was on a rampage. She pushed things aside and took items out, mentally crossing her fingers. _They_have_to have it. They have an eight-year old in the household, of course they do._She let out a sigh of relief when she found the small packet of Kool-Aid mix, gripping it close to her chest like it was precious material.

When she was younger, Quinn had a bad case of insomnia. She would toss and turn in bed every night, never able to get even an hour of sleep. It always affected her the next day; when she was in third grade, she fell asleep in class and her angry teacher demanded she get treated. They'd tried everything: pills, freaky exercises, even just deep breathing, but nothing worked until the one night she woke up at four o'clock, went downstairs, and spontaneously made a pitcher of Kool-Aid. From then on, her nights got better, and she woke up every morning ready to jump-start the day. Eventually, her restlessness stopped and she no longer needed to have her nightly glass of Kool-Aid. In fact, she hadn't had it in years. She guessed it was her twisted pregnancy hormones that made her have such weird cravings. This one hit close to home.

She searched the kitchen again, this time for a pitcher. When she found one, she turned on the faucet, letting the purified water flow into the bottom of the jug. It grew full, overflowing, almost, and she quickly stopped the water before things got messy. With a swift tear of the packaging, Quinn poured the red powder of the Kool-Aid into the water, watching it dissolve and swim around in the liquid like chemicals. Lastly, she poured in a cup of sugar to balance everything out.

Quinn was just about to turn on her heel and grab a glass when she heard small footsteps approaching behind her. She gasped but wasn't surprised when she turned around and was met with the wide-eyed face of Puck.

"You scared me," she said simply, her features turning into a pout.

He shrugged. "Sorry. I heard something downstairs, and, uh—" Suddenly he realized Quinn was aware of the baseball bat he was carrying in his hand, and he blushed.

"A little scared, were we?" She teased, playfully rolling her eyes at him.

"Maybe."

She laughed out loud, shaking her head. "Want some Kool-Aid?"

Puck threw her a quizzical expression. "At one in the morning?" She raised an eyebrow. "Sure, why not."

Shrugging, she got two glasses out of the cabinet. "Yeah. It's a long story, actually. But I woke up and I was just like..._damn_. I want some Kool-Aid." She sighed. "So, here I am."

She started to pour the red liquid into the two glasses until she was stopped by Puck, who shook his head and took the pitcher from her. "You're pregnant, you shouldn't be..." He trailed off, but he did the pouring for her, evenly rationing their juice.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Puck. Seems someone's a little too overprotective?" She childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

"It does happen to be my child, you know."

She gasped dramatically. "No! You mean-? It couldn't be!"

"My darling," he said, "it's true."

"_No!_" Quinn dissolved into a fit of giggles, falling over, her head crashing onto Puck's shoulder. "We are kind of strange."

"It _is_one in the morning," he countered.

"Right you are. Television?" She gestured towards the TV set in the family room, and once he nodded, made her way towards the comfy couches facing it (carrying her glass of Kool-Aid, of course). She turned the TV on and it suddenly lit up the dark room, casting shadows everywhere.

"Okay, Preggo," he said, settling down next to her with the remote in hand, "What's it gonna be? Arthur the Aardvark? 30 Rock? Judge Judy? It's up to you." He cast a sideways glance at her, waiting on her response.

"I dunno...close your eyes and pick?" she suggested.

"What?"

She sighed, snatching the remote from his hands. "Here," and she demonstrated by closing her eyes and moving her fingers up and down a few times on the remote before pressing the "select" button and opening them back up. "Looks like it's gonna be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tonight."

"My favorite," Puck nodded. "Not bad at all."

"Agreed."

For the next two hours, they sat in silence, each observing the movie on their own. Quinn jumped in fright at a few parts, but other than that, they sat a good distance apart from each other, each occasionally stealing a glance of the other when the other wasn't looking. It was an art.

Quinn's eyes started to get droopy even before she saw the first words of the end credits. "Hey, Puck?" she yawned.

"Yeah?"

"Goodnight," she whispered, and with that, she laid her head down onto his shoulder, settling herself into the couch, although it was hard to do with her stomach. With a smile, Puck grabbed a nearby blanket and draped it across her body.

She closed her eyes and began to drift away to sleep, but before she did, she thought about several things. The past few days had been rough, but now, sleeping on the couch of someone she had never dreamt of being with, it didn't seem to matter. She didn't need Finn in her life - at least not the way she had thought before - anymore, but she hoped he didn't spend the rest of his life hating her. She didn't know for sure if she and Puck would keep their baby, but she knew if they did, they probably wouldn't do too badly together.

Maybe it was the atmosphere, the dark room; maybe it was the sound of the music coming from the TV, or maybe it was the way Puck was gently stroking her long hair, but Quinn was finding it easier and easier to fall asleep. All she knew that tomorrow was another day, and she positively couldn't wait to see where it took her.

**A/N – So let's just ignore the fact that Quinn briefly lived with Mercedes at the end of the back nine and just say that Quinn stayed with Puck for the rest of her pregnancy. I ship Puck and Quinn, which is quite obvious from reading this fic. I also ship you/giving me reviews. That is probably my OTP.**


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